Timing mechanism



May 22, 1951 E. H. MUELLER TIMING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 23, 1950 INVENTOR. [71/07 H Muel/er i aten ted lViay new UNITED STATES; PATENT O FFICE TIMING MECHANISM" Ervin-l H. Mueller, GIOSSE'POiIl-tflyMiOh.

Application August 23, 1956," Serial No.180,957'

l-Claim." (Cl. 161''7) This invention relates to a mechanism for-tim-- ing; an operation. The mechanism: may. be advantageously. employed inwdeterminin'g the time that a valve isopened and in this connection the mechanism may; beemployed with a valve; for

controllingjthe flow of gas to a burner of asrange or other heating orcookingequipment.

Theobjects of the invention include the provision of asimple' mechanism with am-inimumnumber of parts-.sothat the action issure and positiveinitsfunction. The mechanism is asso ciated with a controlled element which maybe spring pressedand when the mechanism issetw for its operation, the spring-pressedcontrol element is held-ina. position-against the action of. the spring. At. .the .end of. the determined time. the mechanism releases the controlled 'elment completely so that the controlled element may shift under the actionoi its spring entirely independent-oi the mechanism; Thus-, the con"- trolled element need not be arranged and cone structed soas.to.shiftonactuateany of the timing mechanism. The controlled" element may be a valve normally spring pressed to closed p'o'si tion' and which. is held open tby the timing'mech anism and which is completely released by the timing mechanism when the valve is to be closed.

Atiming mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational front view of such a mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a View looking into the mechanism with the bell of the timer removed and showing some valve parts in section.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the mechanism in another position.

The construction may embody a suitable support I with a face 2 having indicia thereon constituting a dial. The indicia shown may be in increments of minutes. The structure may be mounted by means of projections 3 and it has an operating handle 4.

Mounted on the rear of the support is a suitable bell I which may be held by a screw 8. Within the bell there is a suitable mechanism in the nature of a clock or Watch movement which may be mounted on a bracket 9 and the handle 4 is mounted on and operates a shaft ill on which is mounted what may be termed a cam element II of disc form provided with a notch l2. The screw 8 for holding the bell may be positioned on the same axis as the shaft l and may be threaded into a bracket l4 which is cut away as Figs. 3 and 20-and' it may be attached to the bracket lon' theb ackside thereof. It has an extension-2l providing acliamberzzand anextension 23 pro-' vid i-ng-a chamber 24 The extension may b'einternally' threaded for connection to gas conduits 25) and 26% Usually; the gas maybe entered through the conduit 25"and passout-through condn'it 2B: The chambers 22 and 24 meeteach' other at right angles in the Valve indicated and it has avalve seat "at 28." A valve member is-pos'i'tioned" in the chamber 22, the-valve member being in'the formf of a disc 30 with suitable material for engaging the seat '28' and it is-acted upon by a coilspring 3| which reacts against a fitting 32* threaded to the valve body; The valve" member has a stem' slidabl y disposed in thevalve body and projecting out througha passage 34 and having an exposed head 35. A suitable seal may be employed-as at 36" to prevent escape of gas around the stem. It will be apparent'how gelS"-' may flow through the valve when the-valve em-'- b'er is'spacedfrom' its seat-as shown in Fig.3;

andhow the-flow of gasis stopped when the vane member "engages and rests upon the seat by the action of a spring 3|.

For controlling the valve there is a lever 40 pivotally mounted as at 4| on the support 9 and having an abutment or pin 42 for engagement with the cam H. A coiled spring 43 anchored at one end to the support 9 and at its other end to the lever normally holds the lever with the pin 42 engaged against the periphery of the cam II. A bell hammer 45 pivotally mounted as at 46 is positioned to be engaged by an angularly disposed end portion 41 of the lever 40.

There is a projection or finger on the lever which extends laterally therefrom as indicated at 48. This projection and the lever may be formed of one integral piece of metal. As indicated the proximal end of the projection or finger connects to the midportion of the lever and the finger extends in a direction transverse to the direction of extent of the lever and its distal end is in the form of a foot 49 for engaging the head 35 of the valve stem. The finger passes through an opening 50 in the bell. The projection or finger 48 is guided for movement between the frame member l5 and a bracket 5!, it being understood that the guiding bracket is spaced from the frame member [5 for free movement of the projection 48. The bracket thus prevents the spring 43 from cooking the lever on its pivot 4|.

In the operation of the mechanism a normal inoperative condition of the parts is illustrated in Fig. 4. The spring 43, in this position, holds the lever arm upwardly with the pin 42 seated in the notch I2 of the cam. The hammer 45 is elevated but it rests upon the lever and is free of the bell. The finger 48 is in a position so that the foot 49 is clear of and spaced from the head 45 of the valve stem. To set the timing mechanism the operator grasps the handle 4 and turns it counter-clockwise as Fig. 1 is viewed. This turns the cam H and the parts may be positioned as shown in Fig. 3. In this action, the cam forces the pin out of the notch l2 so that the lever is lowered against the action of its spring and the finger 48 has a swinging action with the lever in a downward directionas Figs. 3 and 4 are viewed. The foot 49 engages the head 35 of the valve stem and pushes the valve member downwardly thus disengaging the valve member from its seat. Thus the valve is opened and gas may flow therethrough.

The valve will be held open as long as the lever is held in the position shown in Fig. 3. The handle 4 and cam ll may be turned and the mechanism then drives the shaft l and rotates it counter-clockwise as Fig. 3 is viewed. In this action, the periphery of the cam rides on the pin 42 and when the recess l2 comes into alignment with-the pin the spring snaps the lever upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4. This is a quick snapping action and the hammer is impelled against the bell causing it to ring. The finger or projection 48 releases the valve and the valve instantly closes under the action of its spring 3|.

The time period during which the valve is held open may be determined by the extent to which the cam is turned from the Fig. 4 position as may be indicated by the dial. When the valve is held open the finger 48 acts in the manner of a strut, with the force of the spring I I being transmitted lengthwise through the finger 48 and thence into the shaft It). At the end of the time period the entire controlling mechanism snaps upwardly under the action of its spring 43 thus entirely freeing the valve spring, so that the valve is closed independently of the controlling mechanism. In other words, the valve spring is not Number called upon to shift anything other than the valve itself and the stem end is not called upon to move any of the controlling mechanism.

I claim:

In a timing mechanism for a valve having a reciprocably movable valve member, said timin mechanism having a rotary cam member with a concentric peripheral portion with a notch therein, the axis of the cam member being disposed transversely of and substantially in alignment with the projected path of reciprocation of the valve member, means for drivin the cam member, means for setting the driving means into operation and for positionin the cam member; a lever, a pivot for the lever spaced laterally from the projected path of reciprocation of the valve member, a part on the lever for engaging the cam member, a spring acting upon the lever to hold said part against the cam member, said lever being disposed between the valve member and the axis of the cam member, and a finger rigidly on the lever and projecting transversely therefrom toward the valve member, the distal end of the finger being arranged to engage the movable Valve member when said part of the lever engages with the peripheral portion of the cam member to hold the valve open, said finger, when holding the:

valve open, lying substantially in alignment with the projected path of reciprocation of the valve member, whereby the finger acts as a strut, said.

part on the lever being engageable in said notch when the notch aligns therewith for movement of the lever and movement of the distal end of the finger laterally of the reciprocable path of the valve member, to thereby disengage the valve member for the closing of the valve.

ERVIN H. MUELLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,315,774 Couzens Apr. 6, 1943 

